by Lynn, Sophia
"Oh Khaliq..."
"Shhh. Let me have you, and I swear, you will not regret it."
He kissed her until she was lightheaded, and then to her surprise, he turned her around and bent her over the edge of his bed. The bed was tall enough that even stretched out, her toes didn't quite reach the floor. When Khaliq placed a firm hand at the small of her back, holding her in place, she felt a delicious vulnerability come over her. She knew he was looking her over, practically inspecting her, and it only lit a needy fire inside her.
"You are so beautiful, so very open for me... And I want to feel all of you."
Frannie whimpered as Khaliq's fingertips traced a maddening pattern along her upper thighs and the curve of her buttocks. She stopped worrying about what she looked like because Khaliq's touch simply felt so very, very good. She parted her legs as his touch grew deeper, and then she gasped when his fingertips started tracing along her soft folds, teasing her slight hair there, pressing with gentle strength against her clit and then sliding back to her opening.
"So perfect and wet for me. You can feel that, can't you, how much your body welcomes me?"
"Yes," Frannie sighed, and he rewarded her by gently easing a finger deep inside her. She sighed with pleasure at even that slight invasion, and it made her more aware of how wet she was just from what they were doing. Khaliq bent over her body, his chest against her bare back, and as he moved his finger inside her, he whispered shockingly dirty things in her ear, how hard she made him, how much he wanted her, how good she felt.
When he pressed his clothed erection against her bare thigh, Frannie gasped a little, pressing back against him. It was still stunning to her how very much he wanted her, and the idea of him pressing his length into her made her almost dizzy with need.
Frannie had no idea how long Khaliq might have toyed with her if she hadn't turned her head to look at him. In the dim light of his chamber, his eyes were nearly black, and she looked up at him beseechingly.
"Please. Please, I need you."
For a moment, Khaliq only gazed at her with something like awe in his eyes, and then he pulled back, removing his clothes with speed. When he stood behind her again, he was magnificently naked, his erection jutting out in front of him.
Even then, it was as if he could not stop himself from toying with her. Frannie gasped as he came close, bracing herself for the hot velvet slide of his body joining with hers. Instead, Khaliq took his cock in hand and pressed the tip against her slit, sliding it along her sweet opening and making her groan with desire.
"Please! I can't wait any longer!”
He might have kept on teasing her, but Frannie pressed back against him, her hips tilted up invitingly, her entire body intent on having him. She whimpered when she felt his cock finally, finally enter her, and her sound was echoed by Khaliq who seized her hips in an almost punishing grip.
Frannie had had girlfriends who disliked this position. They said it was insulting, that their men should want to look them in the eye while they were making love.
As Khaliq took her, his cock sliding in and out of her with a sweet expertise that made her cry out, she knew they were wrong. She could almost feel Khaliq's need for her, his sweetness and his care. With every stroke, he drove the pleasure in her higher and higher still, and she could feel that tightness in the bottom of her belly that promised an overwhelming reward.
When Khaliq drove into her one final time, she groaned in pleasure at the feel of his pleasure flooding her. The idea of him marking her, claiming her in that most elemental way, deepened the pleasure she felt.
For a moment, he was still, and then Frannie yelped as Khaliq pulled away and flipped her onto her back. When he saw her surprised expression, he grinned.
"Did you think I was going to let you go unsatisfied?"
She couldn't even stutter out an answer to that before Khaliq curled her against him and then pressed a hand between her legs. She started to tell him no, it was fine, she didn't come every time, and she almost never came from this, but then his fingers were sliding against her most sensitive flesh and she was crying out again.
The pleasure that had built up in her rose again and again, and when there was finally nowhere for it to go...Frannie exploded.
She cried out with pleasure, her entire body convulsing wildly in an attempt to fend off the powerful sensations and to keep them going. It was as if someone had lit off a chain of fireworks inside her. They kept coming, one after another, powerful enough to rock her world in its moorings.
When Frannie's body finally calmed down, when she could finally breathe again, she slumped against Khaliq, burying her face in his chest. She became aware of the sweat drying on their skin, the cool of the air against them, the smell of their satisfied bodies mingling.
"Do you know a little more about where you belong now, beautiful girl?"
Frannie thought about it, and then she couldn't stop a slight grin from crossing her face. "I might, but I may need you to remind me again before the night is out."
Khaliq laughed, a low and sweet sound that she realized sounded like home to her ears. "I would be more than happy to remind you of this."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Khaliq
Long after her breathing evened out and her eyes had fluttered shut, Khaliq found himself sitting up in bed and watching the woman next to him. He wanted to question the warm feelings he had for her, but his body still buzzed with the pleasure she had given him.
Khaliq was a realist in most ways. He knew his powerful attachment to Frannie had at least something to do with the children she carried and the fact that she had proved to him that he was not derelict in his duty to his country. The fact that she was carrying the future princesses of Beian was a factor that could not be discounted.
However, he was also a man who came from a line of passionate men, men who ruled their countries through their iron minds and their fiery hearts. He had been raised on stories of ancestors that stole brides and cherished them for their entire lives, of men who gave their last breath for the women they had chosen.
When he looked at Frannie, he thought he knew something of what those men had gone through. Light as a feather, he traced a fingertip over Frannie's cheek, making her eyelids flutter a little.
“I choose you,” he murmured. “Sometimes, I think I chose you the moment you fell into my arms.”
It would take time, he thought, but he would be patient. Sooner or later, before the twins were born or after, he would convince her of this. They had time.
Khaliq lay down behind Frannie, curling up close to her. No matter how well he and his lovers had pleased each other, he had never been much of one for sleeping close. When he looked at Frannie, however, things changed, and now all he wanted to do was to be close with her. He entwined his fingers with hers, and with a soft sigh, he drifted off to sleep.
***
Frannie
Frannie awoke from a surprisingly restful sleep only to realize that the bed was empty. For a moment, she wondered why that was so disturbing, but then memories of the night before came rushing back to her. She burrowed further under the sheets, burying a suddenly red face in the pillows.
Did I...? Did I really do all of that?
Her body was only too happy to remind her that in fact she had, and she couldn't repress a soft shiver of pleasure.
Before she could reflect too far upon what had happened, however, she realized that she could hear raised voices in the next room. The urge to avoid snooping warred with her natural curiosity. She was prepared to wait it out, however, until she heard Khaliq's voice raised in frustration.
"She's the sister of the sheikh, how in the name of all that is holy could you lose her?"
There was more urgent muttering, and Frannie suddenly felt a shiver run up her spine.
Jameela is fine, she's too smart, too protected to have anything happen to her...
Despite that reassurance, Frannie wrapped the sheet around her body and c
rept closer to the door. She cracked it open just enough to see Khaliq pacing the living room of his suite, dressed only in a pair of loose linen trousers, his hair sticking up at all angles as if he had run his hands through it multiple times. He was speaking to a stone-faced man in a black suit, and as Frannie watched, the man shook his head.
"The young princess is skilled at evading her security detail when she wishes to, sir. Even when she has, however, she is always back in the palace by this morning. Do you wish a national emergency raised?"
Khaliq paused, and she felt a pang of sympathy for him. How strange it must be to see your family problems turn into a national matter. In her belly, one of the twins kicked, and absently, she rubbed her hand comfortingly over the spot.
Promise me that you'll be less trouble.
Khaliq finally shook his head. "Not yet. If she's not found in twenty-four hours, then yes. Right now, though, she may simply have gotten involved in something and is on her way back. Send people out looking for her, but do it subtly."
The pair passed a few more words together, but Frannie had drifted back into the room, sitting on the bed. Her thoughts felt too light and too fast for her to grasp hold of them, but right now, the only thing that mattered was that she help Khaliq. When the door opened, she turned to him, ready to offer him whatever she could, but his smile threw her off.
"I didn't realize that you were awake."
"Er, I've not been awake for long. I just realized you were speaking to someone and—"
"Yes. I'm afraid there is some business I must attend to. You can amuse yourself today, can't you?"
Frannie looked at him, stunned that he would not mention his sister's disappearance. All of his emotions were sealed away under a tight and opaque mask, and if she had not heard herself what had happened, she never would have guessed.
"Um. Of course I can."
"Good. I'm afraid I will be rather busy today, but perhaps we can meet again later. As it is, I must go."
Frannie woodenly accepted his kiss, watching as he dressed hastily and left her with another kiss.
He didn't even tell me what is going on. Does he not trust me?
The warmth and pleasure she had felt in bed with him died to cold ashes, and she suddenly felt less sure about everything. Had she only imagined the connection they had made the night before?
***
Khaliq
On his way to a security briefing about the situation, Khaliq was struck by a nagging feeling of frustration and sorrow. He wanted to tell Frannie what had happened, but he couldn't.
She was pregnant with his children, and over and over again, Dr. Rai had said that she was to be kept from any source of stress. Hearing that Jameela, one of her only friends in Beian, had gone missing was surely beyond stressful.
I'll tell her tonight. If Jameela is still missing, I will tell her tonight. No reason for her to be frightened before she needs to be.
***
Frannie
Frannie knew she had to stay calm for the babies' sake, but she found herself pacing back and forth in her room, nervous and anxious.
She kept telling herself that Jameela was fine, but something about the situation made her very afraid. She couldn't get the teen's impish smile and daring out of her mind. Jameela was a wonderful girl, spirited and intelligent, but she was still only a girl. She hadn't had enough experience to know how rough the world could be.
Frannie knew she would be no help either way to the search as it was, and so to calm herself down, she started to unpack the rest of her boxes. It was somewhat ironic, but the act of unpacking calmed her when it felt like nothing in the past few weeks that had to do with her staying in Beian had.
She opened her desk drawer to stow a few pictures that she had to deal with, and she paused. There was the buff envelope that held the pictures she had taken of Khaliq, but...where were the pictures themselves?
Frannie picked up the envelope disbelievingly, staring at how empty it was, and she remembered Jameela seeing her put them away. Jameela was the only one who had seen them, and now she remembered that conversation they’d had that day.
Oh god, what cafe was it? Where was she talking about?
For a moment, she thought she had forgotten the answer entirely, that it was lost to the turmoil of the time since, but then the answer rose up out of the murk.
Cafe Americain...
That was it. That was where Jameela had liked to go, the place she was certain her brother wouldn't approve of. Could Jameela have kept her activities there a secret? It seemed unlikely, but Jameela had been dodging her security details since she was a girl.
The last thing Frannie wanted to do at this point was to tell Khaliq that the pictures she had taken of him were on the loose, but she realized she had no choice.
Taking a deep breath, she walked out of her apartments, intent on finding Khaliq and telling him what she knew. He could do as he liked with the information, but she knew in her heart that he had to be told.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Frannie
Almost immediately, Frannie noticed a tension in the palace. Even if no one knew what was going on, there were strained looks on all the faces she passed. Frannie's first instinct was to speak about her revelation with anyone who crossed her path in the hopes that they could help her figure out what had happened to Jameela, but she remembered how Khaliq had wanted to keep it on a need to know basis.
She supposed she could understand. The more people who knew, the harder it might be to search effectively. Frannie walked quickly past the nervous servants, and she was relieved when she saw two men in black at the end of the hallway. They were dressed identically to the man Khaliq had been speaking to in his quarters, and she assumed they were on the security detail. Frannie picked up her pace and hurried towards them.
“Excuse me! Excuse me, I need to speak...”
“No. You do not need to speak with anyone. Not today.”
Khaliq's uncle stepped out from between the two men, and Frannie was struck all over again by how much he looked like Khaliq while being so very terribly cold. He looked at her as if he was gazing at something small and disgusting that had dared to try to attract his attention.
“No, you don't understand, I have important information for Khaliq.”
“You do not. You are a troublemaker who should remain silent until she is spoken to.”
“But...”
Khaliq's uncle was apparently done speaking with her. He turned away from her, glancing at the two security men who were speaking with him.
“This woman is a nuisance and an attention-seeker. She has nothing to offer in our current troubles. Ignore her.”
The men nodded, and Frannie felt something inside her sink. A panic was beginning to rise up in her throat, and she knew she could not lose it now, not when Jameela might be in some kind of danger.
She opened her mouth to protest again, but then she realized something very disturbing.
If she kept trying to make herself heard, they might lock her in her quarters as a nuisance. Eventually Khaliq would appear to free her, but it might take too long.
It might be too late.
Abruptly, she turned on her heel and walked away. Let that terrible man think he had won. Frannie knew her goal was not to force the recalcitrant members of Khaliq's family into recognizing her.
Her end goal was to save Jameela, and she would do that on her own if she had to. She would return to her rooms to leave a message for Khaliq whenever he came looking for her, but otherwise, it was time to take this matter into her own hands.
***
In the end, Cafe Americain wasn't hard to find. It was harder to get out of the palace and down to a busy street. It made sense, Frannie supposed. Palace security was designed to keep people out, not to keep people in.
In the plain tunic and trousers she had been wearing and a scarf tucked over her hair in the way she had seen worn by some of the older women, Frannie made it out to the
street in less than twenty minutes.
The cab driver she hailed looked at her closely when she was in the cab.
"Are you sure?" he asked in slightly accented English. "Eeeeh, that is not a... good place for woman like you..."
He made a vague gesture that seemed to indicate a round and pregnant belly. Frannie felt another stab of apprehension, but she nodded.
"Yes. I'm very certain. Quickly please. I'll tip very well if you can get me there sooner rather than later."
The man grinned, all apprehensions forgotten in the face of a large tip, and Frannie clung to the handle on the door as he whipped her through the streets of the capitol.
In less than ten minutes, they were beyond the beautiful wide streets they’d started in and in a place that looked significantly shoddier and far more run down.
The area reminded Frannie of some of the places she had lived, and her nervousness for Jameela only grew. This was definitely a rougher area than she had pictured when Jameela talked about Cafe Americain. She cursed herself for not asking more questions, but then the cab came to a stop in front of a dusty bar with an ancient American flag hanging over the window for decoration.
"How much for you to stay here and to keep the engine running?"
The man looked around skeptically, but he shrugged. "I will stay for a while. Give me thirty euros in advance."
Frannie had no clue as to whether the man would actually do more than stay a few moments after she left, but she had no choice. She handed over the money with gritted teeth and went into the cafe.
I feel like I've stepped into a movie set, Frannie thought nervously.
There was something almost theatrically dirty and grungy about the club, from the men who sat with their heads on their arms at the tables to the elderly woman in fine clothing at the bar. It was hard to imagine Jameela in this place, and that made Frannie more determined as she went to the bar.
